Poultry feeder



C. E. HEDRICK POULTRY FEEDER Filed 001;. 6, 1938 Margh 18, 1941.

G (W m I I 3 4a INVENTOR. .HE'D CK ATTORNEY.

5 D CLARENCE 5' BY Patented Mar. 18, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in poultry feeders and has forits object to provide a sanitary feed container, collapsibly arrangedand made from a single sheet of pasteboard or the like and \being scoredfor accurate bending to form the container, and the said sheet ofpasteboard will hereinafter be referred to as a blank.

According to the invention, the structure comlo prises a bottom, sidesand end walls rectangular in cross section. There is also provided a topclosure extending obliquely upward from each side and a marginal portionthereof being vertically positioned for snug engagement of theiradjacent sides and removably secured together by keys made of likematerial to that of the blank and produced therefrom and when assembleda ridge is formed at the top. Each end of the container is closed bybending end portions of the said bottom, sides, and top inward towardeach other for interlapping engagement.

-In order that the invention may be more clearly understood, referencewill hereinafter be made to the accompanying drawing illustrating theinvention, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side view of the feeder.

Fig. 2 is an end view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an end view having one side in its assembled position, theother side collapsed, showing the end closing members more clearly withrespect to contour. v

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view of the feeder, illustrating the modeof inserting the keys.

, Fig. 5 is a reduced plan view of the blank from which the feeder isformed by bending the same on its scored lines.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged plan View of the key as embodied with the core ofone of the feeding ports.

Fig. '7 is an enlarged plan view of the key removed from its respectivecore.

This invention herein disclosed consists of a bottom I, side walls 2,that are vertically positioned by bending the blank on lines Arespectively, and a top portion 3, extending from each side upward andtoward each other by a bend on lines B; each of said top members has atthe outer edge thereof a marginal portion 4 that 5 forms a ridgevertically positioned by a bend at line C, the said marginal portionsbeing attached together by keys 5 spaced therealong and extendingthrough their respective slots 3', said slots being shorter in lengththan the key proper 55 and having an arcuate cut 3" at their terminatingends to provide a lip and when turned outward the key is free to passthrough the slot, whereby the ends of the slots will seat in theirrespective inwardly extending notches D of the key, by which means theridge members are secured together closing the top of the feeder, theridge being adapted to receive advertising matter printed thereon.

Spaced along each top portion 3 is a plurality of elongated ports 6,through which poultry has access to feed placed in the feeder, the portsbeing formed by the removal of a core 6, said core being retained by aplurality of small points therearound that join the core to the wall ofthe port by which means the core is easily removed and the key islikewise retained and removed from the body of the core. Each end of thesaid feeder is closed by a plurality of members outwardly extending fromscore line E respectively, and on said lines the members will bend fortheir function as follows:

Each of the end portions 1, that are integral with the bottom is turnedupward at right angles thereto and each has a curved slot 8 near theopposite ends thereof to receive hook members 9, insertible therethroughas securing means for their respective sides at a right angle to thebottom, while extensions in, functioning as flaps and being joined totheir respective ends of each 30 ported top portion, are adapted tointerlap each other at their respective ends, also engaging on theinside of portion 1, as closing means for the ends of the said portedtop portions, and the said end extensions II) when rocked inward asshown by dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 4 will form a temporary openingthrough which poultry feed may enter the feeder, said extensionsautomatically closing when released.

As heretofore stated, the said poultry feeder is a collapsible structureand the blank from which it is formed contains preparatory means foraccurate folding and means to secure the folds in operative position asa feeder, the assembly being done by the purchaser of the blanks, theperformance of which is accomplished without the use of tools.

The feeder thus constructed is an article of manufacture, and the blanksare packed in bundles as a convenient storage and shipping 5 meanstherefor.

It will be understood that at the time of cuttingthe blank the core ofthe ports will remain intact-and also the key portions, but severedsufficiently for prompt and clean removal at the time of assembling thefeeder as above described by which means an ample number of keys areavailable. While I have shown the key produced from the core of theports, I do not wish to be restricted to such alone as the said key maybe produced from other source of like material. Such modifications maybe employed as lie within the scope of the appended claim.

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

In a poultry feeder of the class described, the feeder formed from asingle :blank and having sides, end walls, bottom, a pair of slantingtop members and a ridge, said ridge comprised of two members, eachintegrally joined to its respective top member and vertically disposedfrom its points of intersection with the top member, there being aplurality of slots spaced along and passing through the ridge memberswhere they intersect the top members, the slots of one member being inregistry with the slots of the other member when said members are placedtogether, the ends of each slot curved upward to provide a rockabletongue between the curvatures and following along the slot at one sidethereof, each top member having a series of ports spaced therealong, andkeys, each being notched at both ends, and each being inserted in a pairof slots with its notches holding the ridge members together, each sidewall and top member having at each end an extension, these extensionsand the end walls completely closing both ends of the feeder, each endwall having a pair of oppositely disposed curved slots, each extensionof the side wall being hook-shaped and engaging in one of these slots,the extensions of the top members overlapping and being inside of theend walls and of the extensions of the side walls, the feeder being heldtogether by the engagement o1 the keys and of the hook-shaped extensionwith the slots.

CLARENCE E. HE-DRICK.

